We often hear from IIANC members about the need for qualified help in their agencies. Combine that with the loss of the agency workforce as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age and there is a real concern among independent agencies about finding and hiring staff. But, help may be closer than you think. 

The future of the insurance industry in North Carolina is bright with the promising students enrolled in the Risk Management & Insurance (RMI) programs at  Appalachian State University, East Carolina University and UNC-Charlotte. These RMI programs produce qualified, knowledgeable graduates every year. So the real question is - how do we get them to enter the independent agency workforce?

This is where IIANC is helping! We’ve built strong partnerships with the RMI programs through scholarships, regularly speaking
 at RMI classes/programs, having students attend our conferences for networking with member agents, and more. We also attend the RMI Career Fairs at each university during the fall and spring semesters to promote job openings and internships with our member agencies. And resources like an internship guide and grants are available to help agencies host successful internships.
 
But, this is where we need your help! If your agency is willing to host an intern or has a full-time job opening suitable for an RMI graduate, let IIANC know! We will promote these opportunities to students when we attend the RMI Career Fairs. Help us, help you, recruit bright, talented students to careers in independent agencies!

See below to learn more about the IIANC resources available to help your agency with providing an internship or advertising full-time job openings.


Questions? Contact Natalie Simpson at nsimpson@iianc.com or 888-277-6340.

 

Agency Internships

A great way to bring more young people into the independent insurance industry is to provide internship opportunities in your agency.  Not only does it give your agency some additional help for a few months, but it promotes the awesome career advantages that working as an independent agent offers. It’s also a great opportunity to get these top-notch students “in the door” before someone else does and take a risk-free look at a potential future employee.  

"We had a great experience with our intern. We are actually looking to keep him on through next semester and then hopefully bring him on as a full-time employee after graduation. We will look to hire more interns in the future!"   - Andy Sturge, Dexter Sturge Insurance, LLC in Charlotte


1. How do I get an intern in my agency?

Advertise your opening at the RMI Career Fairs! 
IIANC attends the RMI Career Fairs at App State, ECU and UNCC each fall and spring semester. If your agency is committed to providing an internship opportunity during the summer, submit your information, and IIANC will advertise it at the Career Fairs. We’ll share your information with the students and also collect resumes from interested students to pass along to you.



2. But what do I do with an intern all summer?

Hosting an intern is made simple with the Agent’s Guide for Internships.  
This guide walks you step by step through a 10 week summer internship so that you can provide a learning experience that is beneficial to both the student and your agency. The guide can be customized for your specific agency but it takes all of the guesswork out of what projects, responsibilities and training should be part of the internship. Included are sample interview forms and evaluations, orientation schedules, intern assignments and more.



3. How do I fund a paid internship?

Grants are available to help with the costs associated with a paid internship. 
Thanks to funding from the IIANC Education Foundation, IIANC will be offering grants of up to $1,000 to assist IIANC member agencies in offering paid internships in 2019. The deadline to apply for a grant is April 18, and winners will be notified by May 1. See the application for guidelines on the internship grant program. 
 

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